Field
The present invention relates to an operation device suitable for a play machine and a play machine provided therewith.
Related Art
Conventionally, there is a play machine called a slot machine. In the slot machine, a plurality of reels in which a plurality of kinds of symbols are displayed rotate, a role is decided depending on the symbols displayed in a window and the combination of the symbols when the reels are stopped, and a prize winning is provided according to the decided role and a bet number. The reels start the rotation when a push button provided in a front surface of the slot machine is pressed or a lever is pulled, and the rotation of the reels is stopped by control of the device.
Not only slot machines manufactured by one play machine manufacturer but also slot machines manufactured by various play machine manufacturers are installed in amusement facilities such as a casino. A player selects a slot machine suitable for the player's taste from slot machines manufactured by various play machine manufacturers, and plays a game using the selected slot machine. Therefore, in amusement facilities, the slot machine popular among players is installed in order to ensure superiority to other competitors. On the other hand, the play machine manufacturers earnestly develop slot machines having strong appeal to the players and performance power in order to meet demands of amusement facilities.
An operation input unit in which the push button or lever used to issue an instruction to start the rotation of the reel, a switch used to input the bet number, and a switch used to select the line are arranged is provided in a conspicuous place on the front face of the slot machine. Additionally, because the operation input unit is directly operated by the player, the operation input unit is considered to be extremely important to be used in the performance and appeal to the player.
For example, in a configuration of a play machine disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-165759, a transmission type screen is disposed in an inner surface of a translucent hollow operation element of a button switch, a liquid crystal display projector is disposed on the rear face side of the operation element while directly facing the transmission type screen, and the liquid crystal display projector projects images such as a still image and a moving image onto the transmission type screen.
On the other hand, nowadays, a technique of displaying the image in midair and a gesture controller technique of receiving an input by detecting movement (gesture) of a hand or fingers in midair are actively being developed. For example, there is a technique in which an image of a display such as a liquid crystal display is formed in midair using a special plate such that an observer can see as if a liquid crystal display screen exists there. When the technique of forming the image in midair and the gesture controller technique are combined, an instruction input screen is displayed in midair, and the instruction input can be performed by touching the instruction input screen. Various applications are currently studied in various fields such as an automobile industry, a housing industry, and an amusement industry.
The conventional technique disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-165759 is aimed at enhancement of a player's interest by the performance that a 3D image is projected on the inside of the operation element of the operation input unit, but the operation is not associated with the 3D image.